Tuesday, January 21, 2014

WIPpet Wednesday: "The Bravest"

Get a free copy of The Beloved Daughter when you donate toLiNK.
     For a while, I felt like a lame writer. You see, my characters never talked to me. They didn't argue with me. They didn't keep me up at night, telling me what they're planning to do next. It was a point of great shame for me.

     Then one character from my WIP did more than open her mouth. This side character, whom I added basically for the purpose of juxtaposing the main character in ONE SCENE, threatened to take over the entire novel. We're talking demands for the cover spot, protagonist status ... you name it.

     This character, Hannah, is the girl being discussed in today's WIPpet: fourteen sentences from page 22 (for January 22, 2014).

***

“You’ll never know if you never ask,” he reminded the young man.

Simon put both hands on his forehead. “It’s not that I haven’t talked to her. I did.”

Roger raised his eyebrows. “And?”

Simon’s head wobbled from side-to-side. “She’s got her heart set on going home.”

Roger let out his breath. “She’s a very brave young woman.”

“The bravest.”

Roger stared straight at Simon. “You don’t want to go back. Do you?”

***

Cool Opportunity: Gloria mentioned LiNK in my comments last week. LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) is an amazing organization that helps rescue refugees from North Korea. I'm looking for authors to join my fundraising team. You don't need to be published yet, you just need to care about North Korean refugees enough to help spread the word. You can see my fundraising page at http://fundraise.libertyinnorthkorea.org/alanaterry. It's easy to create a page of your own, and then you can link it to the Authors & Readers for North Korea team. We're hoping to raise $10,000 (US) to fund the complete rescue of four refugees this year! And if you haven't read The Beloved Daughter yet, you can get a free copy (for you or a friend) by donating on my page.


Blog Love: Huge thanks to K L Schwengel for hosting the WIPpet Wednesday blog hop, where authors post snippets from the current Works In Progress.

Random Fact: My husband purchased an engagement ring for me a full year before we met face to face.




14 comments:

  1. Poor Simon. I get the feeling this woman will follow her convictions with or without her.

    And I love your random facts. I think you hubby must have been similarly single minded - really known he was on to a good thing when he met you! Very sweet.

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    1. Haha, thanks Raewyn! We'll be celebrating ten years in just a few months! Yes, your impression of Hannah and her convictions is spot on. Blessings and smiles to you!

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  2. I love it when characters give us insight into other characters. I also love when characters start getting demanding like that. Well, no, I don't love it. But I do love that I'm not the only writer who has to deal with it!

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    1. Yeah, I'm glad I've finally "graduated" to having characters that try to run my life. :)

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  3. Gotta love/hate a pushy character...

    Shared your fundraising link. Is there a time limit on your goal?

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    1. Thanks for sharing!! We've got a soft one-year goal, but it's not an all-or-nothing kind of deal.

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  4. She sounds like a very determined woman too - so determined by the sounds of it that nearly hijacked the whole novel!

    When you know, you just know, and your husband obviously did without even needing to meet you in person - lovely!

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    1. Determined is a good word for her! (As is hijacked!!)

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  5. I remember this great conflict with Hannah. She just about got you, too. Does this mean you're not going to write her a novel of her own after all?

    Hmmm... sounds like Simon is smitten. =0)

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  6. There are times when I would like some respite from my demanding characters, but they are determined to keep me up at night!

    Hannah sounds like a fascinating character I would definitely be barracking for.

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  7. I can really relate about characters that don't talk to you! But the ones that do...yep. Why are they never the main character? LOL!

    I'd like to know why she's so brave and determined. :)

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  8. Ah that's such a romantic fact about your husband Alana. And great excerpt too. It gets me wondering why she's so brave, what makes them say that. Good stuff! :)

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  9. Having characters who take over the book is both a blessing and a curse. Sounds like you've now experienced both, Alana. :-D

    And what a cute "random fact"! Love it.

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